The Labour candidate for Wellington Central might be a right wing splittist, biting the hand (left faction) that fed him for so long in H Clark’s office.

At a candidate meeting on 2 September he explicitly endorsed the policy of selling state houses as long as it was to their tenants and the proceeds went into more houses.

But that is now forbidden "privatisation" according to Housing Minister Maryan Street. She was condemning National’s housing policy, which is:

Allow state house tenants to buy the house they live in, and maintain the state housing stock by reinvesting all money from these sales in replacement houses.

Will the folk at St Joseph’s who were reassured by Labour’s fervent ‘me too’ last week now have to worry which faction of Labour wins the coming power struggle?

I have some hesitation in recording this, because that affirmation from the Labour candidate was a welcome oasis in a desert of platitudes. I worry about discouraging him from venturing real policy views in future.